We’re delighted to announce Brack and Brine’s newest publication from renowned storyteller Dave Paddon! Created from interviews, stories, correspondence and reports from his parents, Nurse Fortescue and Doctor Paddon is a loving tribute to the storytellers that shaped the younger Paddon and a glimpse into the lives of frontier health care workers “scarcely comprehensible in the modern era.”
Stay tuned for details on the release date and launches in St. John’s and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Advance praise for Nurse Fortescue and Doctor Paddon:
“If you’ve ever wondered where recitateur extraordinaire Dave Paddon gets his gift for storytelling, look no further: Nurse Fortescue and Doctor Paddon is replete with stories of the courage, resilience, and good humour of his parents. From his mother’s no-nonsense recounting of nursing in London during the Blitz, to his father’s often humour-laden writings about doctoring in Labrador, this book is fascinating. With its treks by dog-sled through snowstorms, V1 rocket attacks, and whale autopsies, the book reveals a way of life now past, and a generosity and strength of community forged by hardship and respect.”
—Marnie Parsons, publisher at Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides
“Read this book if you want to learn about human beings at their best. About a love for Labrador and all its peoples. About superhuman optimism, dedication and astonishing medical miracles in one of the harshest and most beautiful places on Earth. Read this book if you want to be amazed.”
—Andy Jones, writer and actor
“Paddon gives us a glimpse into the lives of his parents—two healthcare professionals, both endowed with more than their fair share of grace under fire. That these two would fall in love in the remote and harsh conditions of Northwest River comes should come as no surprise. Together they were a force.
“Nurse Fortescue and Doctor Paddon is packed full of rich tales of bravery, tenacity, ingenuity—and perhaps the greatest survival skill of all—an enduring sense of humour. It is not hard to see where Dave Paddon cut his own story-telling chops. It is a riveting read.”
—Holly Hogan, author of Message in a Bottle:
Ocean Dispatches from a Seabird Biologist
